Some days I love my job. And then there are days like today "Like any jungle, it is a world of predators and prey. Some of the most dangerous creatures in the world live here. Very few of them are in cages..."
Having appeared in bestselling books and on TV, detective/wizard Harry Dresden now has his own comic book series. And fortunately it loses nothing in translation -- author Jim Butcher wonderfully preserves the sharp, witty, literate fantasy-noir flavour of his books, which is brought to colorful life with Ardian Syaf's solid artwork. This is one to keep an eye on.
A mangled corpse is found outside the monkey house, but the facts don't add to the "gorilla attack" the city wants. So Murphy calls in Harry Dresden, who is busy dealing with a Rawhead and Bloody Bones near the train tracks. After casting a spell to see what killed the man, Harry knows it definitely wasn't a gorilla, especially since the man filled his opponent with bullets before dying.
Unfortunately, while Harry is able to dismiss many possibilities, he still doesn't know what's happening -- and Murphy gives him only twenty-four hours before the police pull away the welcome mat. So Harry starts investigating around the zoo, asking questions and getting acquainted with the main suspect. Unfortunately, someone doesn't want him poking around...
Most comic book spinoffs are tepid at best, and jaw-droppingly ghastly at worst. But Jim Butcher has struck a rare balance -- in just a few pages, he and Ardian Syaf spin up blood, sinister-looking beasts, Harry's unconventional detective work, and a quotation by Upton Sinclair thrown in for good measure. Most writers, even good ones, can't manage that.
Specifically, the plot is slow but not boring, albeit with a lot of chatterbox zoo personnel. Butcher includes the wry wit of his books' writing, condensed into sparer nuggets ("You're prettier than some of my clients, smarter than most, and you probably won't lie to me as much," Harry informs a gorilla). It's always boring when a comic book goes on and on, and Butcher knows how to keep us entertained.
But there are also some amusing moments sprinkled in the story, such as Harry walking through an imaginary gallery of supernatural killers, or getting whacked in the head with a notebook. And there are some very creative action scenes -- I've never seen train tracks used like that before.
And Ardian Syaf does a simply lovely job with this book's art -- it's realistic but not nastily so, full of good colors and atmospheric lighting, with lots of dark edges and backdrops. Harry is the tall, rangy, stubbly guy you'd expect, and though Murphy doesn't look quite as "cute" as you'd expect, she's a convincing hard-edged cop.
Butcher's anti-hero is no stereotypical wizard -- he's rough, a little sarcastic, and just trying to make the rent with his magical powers, despite the skepticism of some cops. Lest some readers not be acquainted with how Harry became so bruised, Butcher spins up a three-page revisit to Harry's teenage years -- lots of sunset hues, blood and raw misery.
Fresh and lovingly-crafted, "Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle" is a prime example of what graphic novel spinoffs should be. Definitely check this one out.
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